UNC Geography Professor Karen Barton discovered the heartwarming impact of nearly 200 letters written 17 years ago by her former students.
She intentionally left the assignment broad. Simply asking her students to write a
letter to their future self and tell them how they hoped things would unfold.
Back in 2008, Barton remembered a simple assignment from a class she taught in graduate
school and decided to implement it again in her Geography 100-level courses. It was
an exercise in reflection on the world and what it may become in the future.
Barton taught over 200 underclassmen students that year. Now, nearly 18 years later,
she came across that box of letters and began reaching out to those students to see
where they were and how they were doing.
“They were so kind,” Barton said of the reactions of her former students. “It was
delightful to get in touch with them. UNC students have always been just extraordinarily
nice, really compassionate, good people.”
That generation of students in 2008 had come of age in an era that witnessed the terrorist
attacks of 9/11 and the environmental and social impacts of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The war in Iraq was ongoing, and the global financial crisis was beginning to have
widespread effect on the U.S. economy and job markets. That year, Barack Obama was
elected the first African American U.S. president and was largely supported by young
voters.
“It was a really exciting, dynamic time in history, here at UNC and around the world,”
Barton said. “Students were really inspired and focused on environmental changes.
They wanted to know if they could make a difference. They had all this horsepower,
and they were just really determined to do something.”
For Barton, the human dimension of these letters was the most enriching part of this
assignment, looking back on what those students hoped for themselves and for the world
and the people in it.
“It was just a beautiful experience to connect with these students,” she said. “It
reminded me of why we do this work.”
Karen Barton is a passionate geographer, educator and changemaker dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and driving community-based solutions. As a senior faculty member, she leads innovative courses on climate change, sustainable development and geographic literacy. Barton has won 12 Fulbright fellowships. Her work spans the globe, from leading conservation-focused study abroad programs to being knighted in Senegal for amplifying local communities through impactful storytelling and research. Currently, she is spearheading projects that intersect peace, climate and cultural heritage, aiming to inspire the next generation of explorers and scholars.
Letters to the Future
Barton launched a new Letters to the Future project in her Geography 100 summer class
in 2025.
Adam Lucero, ’10
Geography & History Education
Student Advising
Adam grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, and came to UNC to become a teacher. They studied geography and history, taught in Greeley after graduating, and then moved out west to Oregon.
“My initial goal was to be a classroom teacher and then once I moved to Portland, I kind of found myself,” they said.
Adam worked in nonprofit, youth service and education until they took a role in academic advising at Portland Community College (PCC) serving first-generation and low-income students through holistic program support. In 2022, they became student records coordinator for PCC.
“When Dr. Barton sent my letter, I was hesitant to read it,” Adam said. “I thought ‘this is going to be so cringe.’ And it was cringe, kind of, but it was also sweet to read about this 20-year-old kid from Colorado thinking about global issues.”
Adam says Barton was one of their favorite professors. They naturally gravitated toward Barton’s very human take on geography.
Their experience at UNC built empathy and helped them understand other ways of living, other places and what is really going on in the world. Their education provided a broader perspective which still influences the work they do with students today by understanding different walks of life and situations that people come from.
“I think UNC just planted the seed of wanting to create more justice in the world, and, as an educator, using the tools and resources that I have within my work to do that — to create pathways and remove barriers for more students to have positive educational journeys.”
Estelle Staffieri, ’13
Graphic Design & Marketing
Software UI/UX Quality Assurance
After graduating from UNC, Estelle began working in digital marketing for a few different firms in Colorado. She then transitioned into e-commerce marketing until she had to consider other opportunities for financial growth.
“I had to pivot,” Estelle said. “The job market after I graduated was fairly rocky, but being adaptable, having good communications skills, resilience and perseverance were a lot of things I had picked up at UNC.”
Estelle remembered how much she had enjoyed working on a past project that involved application design, and she decided to earn her certificate in front-end engineering. Now, Estelle is working in software quality assurance and UI/UX testing.
“UNC gave me a broader view of the world and really opened me up to a lot of different paths I could take.”
Estelle says Barton’s was one of her favorite classes from her time at UNC.
“Professor Barton’s class was really inspiring, and it was one of those experiences where you feel the passion of the professor, and you want to rise and meet that passion equally.”
Estelle hopes that future UNC students continue writing letters to their future selves.
“It warms my heart to know that this sort of time capsule has come full circle. I get to remember my younger self, and all the potential, hope and excitement that were in my life then. Even though things are very different now, it gives me that perspective again, that actually can play a more active role in my life.”
Robert Vincent, ’09
Political Science
Managing Attorney
Bob Vincent graduated from UNC with a degree in Political Science and minor in Geography. He then graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2013. Bob says the single best thing that happened to him after graduating from UNC was meeting his wife. They have three children, two dogs and enjoy life in the Kansas City metro suburbs.
Bob is a managing attorney for ONE Gas, one of the nation’s largest natural gas public utilities.
When Barton reached out to him about the letter he wrote as a student, it resulted in a flood of different thoughts and emotions.
“My first reaction was, ‘Oh, lordy, what did I write?’” Bob said. “It pulled me back to that phase of life, how exciting and stressful it was, and how priorities evolve over a lifetime. What I spent hours agonizing over back then now seems so insignificant.”
As a student, Bob says he fell in love with geography. Barton’s engaging teaching style and the passion for the field that she and other UNC professors shared were contagious.
“I wasn’t looking to get a geography minor, but I liked it so much, I just kept taking classes and that was the result of it.”
Bob says his experience at UNC was his first real exposure to understanding different ideas and perspectives, providing him the opportunity to grow the critical skills needed to become an attorney.
“I loved my time at UNC,” Bob said. “They say, ‘the grass is greener on the other side,’ and it’s a warning. It isn’t always greener. What’s true is the grass is greener where it’s watered, meaning people thrive and grow in an environment where others are willing to pour their time, talent and treasure into them for a greater good — and that’s the environment at UNC.” UNC
From Letters to Leadership:
In 2008, Professor Barton asked her students to write to their future selves. Today,
our Bears are thriving across the globe.
Global Reach:
UNC alumni work in 71 countries around the globe, a testament to the “broad view of
the world” instilled during their time at UNC. Other than the United States, the countries
with the most UNC alumni working there are Thailand, Taiwan, Canada, Saudi Arabia,
Japan and Australia.
Top Industries for Geography Alumni:
The most common industry in which Geography majors since 2008 are working is government
administration — demonstrating the ways that UNC alumni are directly contributing
to public policy globally.
Top Professions for Geography Alumni:
Geography majors since 2008 are working as engineers and architects, computer scientists,
managers and life and physical scientists.
Top Industries for all UNC Alumni since 2008:
Employment data for all alumni who graduated from UNC since 2008 show education, health
care and government in the top five industries, followed closely by banking and computer
science/technology.
